2005 Ford F Super Duty problems & reliability
27 owner complaints filed with NHTSA for the 2005 Ford F Super Duty. Last verified Aug 7, 2026. Complaints are unverified reports submitted by owners to the federal Office of Defects Investigation.
Each complaint is counted once (by NHTSA case number), even when it names several vehicles.
1 complaint report injuries (5 injured).
Most reported problems
| Component | Complaints | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Steering → | 10 | 37% |
| Engine | 8 | 30% |
| Suspension | 7 | 26% |
| Electrical System | 4 | 15% |
| Fuel/propulsion System | 4 | 15% |
| Fuel System, Diesel | 4 | 15% |
| Vehicle Speed Control | 4 | 15% |
| Electronic Stability Control (esc) | 2 | 7% |
| Wheels | 2 | 7% |
| Air Bags | 1 | 4% |
Component groups as classified by NHTSA. A complaint can name more than one component, so shares may sum to more than 100%.
All 13 reported components →Common symptoms owners describe
Keyword analysis of complaint narratives; one complaint can describe several symptoms.
Mileage when problems occurred
Among the 26 complaints that included a usable odometer reading, the median reported incident mileage was 87,325 miles (middle 50% between 70,250 and 150,575 miles).
Complaints by incident year
What owners report
“After driving over road imperfections (e.g. Bumps, pot holes, dips, etc.) at speeds about 40mph or above, the front of the truck shakes very violently, and the steering wheel moves quickly and strongly, alternating rapidly between clockwise and counter-clockwise movements. It is difficult to maintain control of the…”
Steering · filed Mar 7, 2018
“This truck has experienced shimmy, aka death wobble, since new. I have had no suspension modifications and not running anything other than recommended size and quality of tire. When cruising at highway speeds and you hit a bump the truck hops and shakes in a dangerous way. I have only gotten letters from ford saying…”
Steering · filed Feb 13, 2018
“While driving on interstate the vehicle turned off and had no steering nor brakes at 70 mph luckily traffic wasn't to bad and I was able to coast to safety put the truck in park restarted the vehicle it took a few times to crank got it started pulled of the interstate as I was turning at the exit the vehicle shut off…”
Fuel System, Diesel · filed Dec 9, 2016
Verbatim excerpts from complaints filed with NHTSA. Reports are not independently verified.
Technical service bulletins
18 manufacturer communications (TSBs, service campaigns, warranty extensions) are on file with NHTSA for the 2005 Ford F Super Duty. The 10 most recent:
Various vehicles equipped with a 4.6L, 5.4L, 6.8L modular 3 valve engine built on or before 8-Jan-2016 may exhibit symptoms that may include upper end engine noise, rough running, misfire and/or engine damage. If…
SSM 47331 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 1, 2018
When ordering a 2005 to 2008 remanufactured 5.4L 3v or 6.8L 3v engine, spark plug boots may be provided in the packaging. Replace all black spark plug boots from the original engine with the 'brown' spark plug boots, as…
SSM 46542 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Apr 24, 2017
The Powertrain Control/Emissions Diagnosis (PC/ED) manual has been revised for diagnosing electronic throttle bodies (ETBs). The ETC_ACT and ETC_DSD PIDs should not used to diagnose possible ETB concerns. The IDS has a…
SSM 46085 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Sep 21, 2016
Ford/lincoln/mercury: if battery was disconnected or dead, vehicles/trucks may experience hard starts and engine idle rpm fluctuation and exhibit diagnostic trouble codes (dtcs) p0505, p0506, p2111 and p2112. *pe
TSB-12-7-4 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jul 10, 2012
Ford: some motorhome chassis vehicles equipped with a 6.8l engine may exhibit hesitation, loss of rpm and/or low idle rpm driveability concerns. Reprogram the powertrain control module (pcm) to the latest calibration…
TSB-10-12-11 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 22, 2010
Ford: runs rough, lacks power, hard start, no start. Some vehicles and trucks equipped with 6.0l engine may exhibit a runs rough, lacks power, hard to start, no start concern with or without diagnostic trouble code…
TSB-10-12-6 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Jun 11, 2010
Ford: certain vehicles with ambulance prep package ambulance class action settlement; pcm part number inspection. Awareness communication dated 4/20/09. *pe
SB-09B09 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 19, 2009
Ford: certain vehicles, e series and f super duty, with ambulance prep package ambulance class action settlement-6.0l diesel engine replacement warranty extension. Awareness communication dated 4/20/09. *pe
SB-09M03 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 19, 2009
Ford: certain vehicles with ambulance prep package ambulance class action settlement; specific component warranty extension. Awareness communication, dated 4/20/09. *pe
SB-09M02 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 19, 2009
Ford: multiple vehicles with a torq shift transmission intermittent clunk when shifting between drive, reverse and park and/or during 2-3 upshift. Models f super duty; e series; excursion; f53 motorhome chassis and low…
SB-20937 · Service Bulletin/Repair Instructions · issued Aug 1, 2009
TSBs are repair guidance manufacturers send to dealers — they are not recalls and repairs are not automatically free. Full documents are available on NHTSA’s site.
Safety recalls
No NHTSA recall campaigns name the 2005 Ford F Super Duty in our current data. Recalls may apply only to certain VIN ranges — always confirm with a VIN check.
Check whether your specific vehicle is affected
Recall campaigns often cover only certain VIN ranges. Enter your VIN on the official NHTSA site to confirm whether your vehicle is included and whether the repair is still open.
Check VIN on NHTSA →Buying a used 2005 Ford F Super Duty?
- · Decode the seller’s VIN with our free VIN decoder to confirm the exact year, engine and trim.
- · Check for unrepaired recalls by VIN on NHTSA’s official lookup — recall repairs are free.
- · Among complaints with usable mileage, the median reported incident mileage was 87,325 miles. This does not predict when a particular vehicle will develop a problem.